Sree Charani becomes the No. 1 T20I bowler a year after her international debut

Just over 12 months since her international debut, 21-year-old Sree Charani has reached the absolute pinnacle of international cricket. The young slow left-arm orthodox spinner from Andhra Pradesh moved past England’s Linsey Smith to become the world’s No.1 bowler in the T20I rankings after Tuesday’s ICC rankings update. It is a breathtaking rapid rise for a player who was waiting for her first international representation until a year ago.

Meanwhile, India’s leading spinner Deepti Sharma has dropped out of the top 5. Despite starting the T20 World Cup with a five-wicket haul, the off-spinner has slipped to 8th in the latest rankings.

Charani’s rise is no flash in the pan; is the continuation of an extraordinary breakthrough year. She made a seamless transition to the 50-over format last year to become the cornerstone of India’s historic ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 triumph on home soil. Working with immaculate control, fine flight and clever variations of pace, she finished this marquee tournament with 14 wickets in nine matches, providing high-pressure, match-turning spells whenever her captain needed a breakthrough.

It is precisely this great tournament temperament that she has carried over to the ongoing ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 in England. Charani has been the absolute bowler of the competition so far, sitting comfortably as the leading wicket-taker with 10 scalps from just three appearances.

She started the tournament with a three-wicket haul against Pakistan. Her rise to the top of the rankings was assured in Leeds, where she tore through the Netherlands with a brilliant spell of 4 for 12, her second career four-wicket haul in T20 internationals. She backed it up with a wild three-wicket burst in Manchester against South Africa. Although India ultimately fell behind in this encounter, it proved that Charani’s individual brilliance could not be ignored by the ICC’s calculators.

By seizing the top spot so early in her career, Charani broke the historical stranglehold of established English spinners. Linsey Smith dropped to third place after a relatively slow start to the tournament by her lofty standards, while her England team-mate Charlie Dean moved into second place after taking five wickets from three matches. Also in the hunt is former world number one Sophie Ecclestone, who jumped four places to fourth overall.

Meanwhile, Australia’s Georgia Voll holds the top spot in the women’s T20I batting rankings. India’s Smriti Mandhana is at number five while opener Shafali Verma has moved up one place to number 6. Despite a quiet start to the T20 World Cup, skipper Harmanpreet Kaur moved up to No.10.

ICC Women’s T20I Rankings (as on 23 June 2026)

1. Sree Charani (India) – 753 points
2. Charlie Dean (England) – 733 points
3. Linsey Smith (England) – 726 points
4. Sophie Ecclestone (England) – 722 points
5. Sadia Iqbal (Pakistan) – 714 points
6. Nonkululeko Mlaba (South Africa) – 713 points
7. Lauren Bell (England) – 710 points
8. Deepti Sharma (India) – 708 points
9. Annabel Sutherland (Australia) – 704 points
10. Nashra Sundhu (Pakistan) – 687 points

– The end

Issued by:

Akshay Ramesh

Published on:

23 Jun 2026 15:09 IST